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Can you still have a drink with a Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth diagnosis?

The SIBO Specific Food Guide shares that the occasional alcoholic beverage (in a moderate amount) is approved with a low FODMAP diet. Their recommended choices include bourbon, gin, vodka, whiskey, scotch and wine. It’s important to choose your alcohol and mixers carefully. Choose juices that are low FODMAP including pure cranberry juice, fresh orange juice, or carbonated water. Ensure to stick within the approved amounts of juice and liquor to not off set your stomach (ie: 1/2 cup of orange juice over a two hour period.) Another handy tip is to have a well-balanced low FODMAP meal before drinking, such as a chicken breast over a bed of mixed greens with a side of buttered squash. Drinking water will also help slow down the drinking process.

The health of your gastrointestinal system is extremely important to your overall well-being. Largely responsible for the critical functions of the body’s digestive and immune systems, beneficial bacteria in your digestive system have the capability of affecting your body’s vitamin and mineral absorbency, hormone regulation, digestion, vitamin production, immune response, and the ability to eliminate toxins, not to mention your overall mental health.

Digestion, mood, health, and even the way people think is being linked to their “second brain”, also known as their gut, more and more every day. The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) is what scientists are calling the 100 million or so nerve cells that line our gastrointestinal tracts. The main role of the ENS is to control digestion, and in doing so it also communicates back and forth with the brain as to the overall health of the body’s gut and immune system.

The connection between gut health and mood has been known for some time, as individuals suffering from bowel-disorders such as Celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or leaky gut are more likely than others to also suffer from autoimmune diseases and mental issues such as depression and anxiety. Symptoms related to poor gut health can be as obvious like headaches, fatigue, joint pain, and immune system weakness.

Most often, dysbiosis is the result of too many bad “bugs” including bacteria, yeast, and sometimes parasites, and not enough good ones. This imbalance causes damage to the mucosal layer of your GI tract; the normally smooth intact mucosal layer becomes permeable, allowing food proteins to enter into the blood stream. This consequently activates your immune system, causing inflammation, food sensitivities, and a myriad of symptoms both in the GI system and throughout the whole body.

Living with gut problems such as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth can wreak havoc on our stress levels and mental health. Even though it can be difficult, it’s important to stay optimistic and try to live on the bright side of life. Ask any successful person to divulge the secret to winning, to meeting and exceeding goals, to feeling fulfilled and accomplished, and they’ll usually say that optimism is key. Optimism is what helps us deal with unexpected change, crushing stress, and inevitable disappointments. It’s what prompts us to learn from mistakes rather than feel defeated by them. Optimism doesn’t just make us feel happier, it also makes us more confident. Optimism helps us believe in ourselves and our ability to bring about a solution. We’re sharing ways to cultivate optimism and confidence into your own daily life.

Focus on solutions, not on problems – If you find yourself obsessing about a problem, feeling negative, or experiencing self-doubt, change your focus by asking, “What’s one thing I could do differently that might make this situation better?” Replacing problem-focused thinking with solution-focused thinking immediately gives you a sense of forward movement, possibility, and hope — the foundations of optimism.

Play a 30-second “movie” of your life daily – Create an imaginary movie reel of your ideal life, including specific details about how you look, how you feel, where you live, what you’re doing, what you’ve accomplished, and what your life is like. Set aside 30 seconds every day to play this movie in your mind. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to do it. This simple mental training exercise will instantly boost your mood and transform the way you think about yourself, your potential, and your future.

Find any improvement to the current situation – One way to practice optimism, be more positive in your thinking, and orient yourself toward success is to get into the habit of looking for any improvement in the current situation as a solution, no matter how small. For example, losing a half pound may seem small when your goal is 50 pounds, but it’s still movement in the right direction.

Minimize obstacles to success – What kinds of distractions or obstacles routinely get in the way of meeting your goals? Is it your to-do list? Unproductive habits? Negative people or sabotagers? One of the keys to achieving optimism is to make steady progress, and that means limiting distractions. Figure out ways to avoid temptations in your life so you don’t deplete your reserve of discipline before getting priorities done. If you waste time on the internet, then don’t go online. If you have difficulty saying, “I’m busy” to friends, let their calls go to voicemail. Succeeding rather than failing keeps you optimistic!

Conjure up an inner coach – Many of us are more confident and perform better when someone is cheering us on. Yet a part of being a successful person is being self-aware and accountable to oneself. One way to reinforce these traits is to conjure up a coach in your mind. Recall a role model who inspired and challenged you. When faced with a daunting task, ask yourself, “What would So-and-So do if she had two reports and only 24 hours to complete them?”

Give yourself daily “done wells” – Get in the habit of recognizing “done wells.” Take a few moments every day to ask the question, “What have I done well today?” This simple gesture reinforces optimism on a daily basis. The answers accumulate and eventually help you develop self-confidence, which is extremely important for success.

Nurture a happy body – A happy body helps you generate happy thoughts and emotions. Optimism is easier when you feel good. Factors that interfere with one’s ability to moderate a good mood and positive energy include: lack of sleep, depleted energy from poor eating and lifestyle habits, and too little exercise. If you have a big goal to achieve, “train” for it like a professional athlete. For optimal mental focus and performance, take a holistic approach to physical and mental health—sleep, rest, manage your stress, have a good diet, and get plenty of vigorous exercise.